Srinagar, Nov 16 : Cold wave gripped Jammu and Kashmir after the region witnessed the season''s first snowfall, causing a steep dip in temperature in the valley.

The region received season''s first rainfall on Friday breaking the dry spell that the region was grappling with for the past few months.

The snowfall has affected the life in the region, as people prefer to stay indoors considering the dipping temperature.

Locals could be seen huddled together on roads as they warmed themselves in front of fire.

The snowfall and the sudden change in weather has taken the locals by surprise.

Jammu, Nov 15 : The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir, B. R. Sharma, on Saturday said that all arrangements for conducting the first phase of polls on November 17 in ten constituencies of Bandipora, Kargil, Leh and Poonch districts have been completed.

The campaigning for the first phase of elections concluded today.

While briefing the media about the contingency plan in light of snowfall, the CEO said that five helicopter sorties each have been made in Leh and Kargil districts to airlift the polling parties as well as the polling material today.

Srinagar, Nov 15 : Campaigning for first phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will come to an end this evening.

102 candidates are in the fray for the ten assembly constituencies in four districts of the Poonch, Bandipora, Leh and Kargil in this phase.

Tight security arrangements have already been put in place to ensure smooth and trouble free election.

The seven-phase polling will begin from November 17 and end on December 24.

Srinagar, Nov 15: After 61 years, a polo-match was recently held in Srinagar.

Polo was last played in Kashmir during the British period at the historic polo ground in Srinagar.

A friendly match was organised by the Jammu and Kahmir Tourism Department for promoting the game. The contesting teams were Kashmir Reds and Kashmir Blues.

Players of Drass Polo Club represented Kashmir Reds while the Polo Club of Leh played as Kashmir Blues. Kashmir blues won the game.

Srinagar, Nov 14 : Heavy snowfall blocked traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Friday as Kashmir valley received the first snowfall of the season.

The strategic 300-kilometre-long National Highway 1-A is the valley''s juglar vein connecting Indian Kashmir with rest of the country.

A large number of vehicles, mostly trucks and lorries carrying essential supplies and fruit in and out of the valley are stranded in various sections of the highway.